


What's For Dinner?

by SmartCoffee



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Food, Humor, Marriage, kitchen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-28
Updated: 2020-05-10
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:34:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23886043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SmartCoffee/pseuds/SmartCoffee
Summary: Iron Man may be able to build a fusion reactor, but he can't solve the problem of what to have for dinner.
Relationships: Pepper Potts/Tony Stark
Kudos: 6





	1. Chapter 1

Tony walks into his house carrying a plastic bag. Pepper is on the couch reading a culinary magazine.

TS: Hey. You are going to love me.

PP: Well, I already do love you, but I'm excited. What's in the bag?

TS: I picked up T-bone steaks and roasted potatoes from Henri's for both of us. I know how much you liked that place last time. And I raced back here in seven minutes so our meals are still warm.

PP: You should've checked with me.

TS: Whaddaya mean?

PP: We've been eating out too much. It's not healthy. More home-cooked food is better. I cooked last night and we still haven't finished it.

TS: What did you cook last night? 

Pepper waits in silence and then

PP: Fettuccine Alfredo.

TS: Oh yeah. I love your fettuccine. It was great. 

PP: You don't have to do that.

Pepper heads upstairs but Tony cuts her off. He puts his hand on her arm. 

TS: I don't want to fight. I really thought you'd appreciate this.

PP: We shouldn't eat out more than twice a week. Let's make it a rule.

TS: Great. From now on, that's a rule.

PP: Hold on. Are you really getting why this is important to me?

TS: Eating out is bad. Eating at home is good.

PP: Okay, but why?

TS: Huh. I can see why junk food would be bad. But what if we went out and got salads?

PP: Have we ever done that?

TS: We've done. . ., oh, maybe once. So if we go out we'll be tempted to make bad choices?

PP: Yup.

TS: But, we're pretty young and in good shape, we don't have to be strict.

PP: Tony, I worry about you.

TS: Don't. I don't want you to worry.

PP: I don't know what to tell you. That's how I am. I think that's how most women are. If you really don't want me to worry, then make good, thoughtful choices.

TS: It might seem like I don't listen to that worry talk but I do. In fact. . .

PP: What?

TS: It's probably unfair for me to say this, but when I hear you worry, it makes me feel weak. It reminds me that I'm not invincible.

PP: But you aren't invincible. It's the truth.

TS: Sure. But sometimes I have to psych myself up and convince myself that nothing can hurt me. Otherwise I'll think about every bullet, every laser, and every magic spell that could injure me.

PP: Exactly. Exactly.

TS: What?

PP: I think about every bullet that could injure you. Constantly. How could I not? And there isn't a damn thing I can do about it. One of the tiny things I can control is what you eat when you're here at the house. But you don't even let me do that. I know the worrying doesn't help, that it's counter-productive. But we can't both go around thinking you're invincible. I need to have your back.

TS: So where do we go from here?

PP: What do you think? Let's start with dinner.

TS: We'll have the fettuccine today. We can have the steak tomorrow. 

PP: Sounds good. And I'm going to try to dial back some of my worrying.

TS: So we're good?

PP: I guess we'll know soon. It depends on whether we stick to it.


	2. Chapter 2

Pepper enters on Tony wearing a Lynyrd Skynyrd shirt, jeans, and an apron. 

TS: You are going to love me.

PP: Now I'm worried.

TS: No, no. I found this great recipe for roasted chicken online. I made a marinade, marinated the meat, preheated the oven, and baked it to perfection. 

PP: Hey, that's great, hon. Let me just shower and change.

TS: Oh, uhm, could you not?

PP: Excuse me? Why would I not shower?

TS: It's just, it's going to be so good in five minutes, but if you wait, it won't be. It'll get drier so you won't be able to appreciate it.

Pepper thought he must have been an exhausting child. It's not that he was stupid or didn't understand you. He was just so determined to achieve something that he lost sight of you.

PP: You don't cook often so we'll eat now but for future reference, I need some time after work to decompress.

Tony set two plates, two forks, two knives, and two burgundy cloth napkins. Pepper reached behind him and untied his apron with the grace of a magician.

TS: Did not know you could do that.

PP: Baby, I've got moves you've never seen before.

TS: All right, moment of truth.

He carved a slice of thigh and placed it on Pepper's plate, then spooned some of the sauce on top.

PP: Oooh, it's still hot. It's juicy. This is amazing. And it cooked all the way through.

TS: Really? You like it?

PP: Like it? I love it. There's tomato and ginger in this. You should make this all the time.

TS: Yeah. Wait. I dunno.

\---  
After dinner

PP: Hey Tony, the sink seems a little greasy, do you know anything about that?

TS: Nnn-no. I just washed the chicken there, but I cleaned up afterwards.

PP: You WASHED the chicken?


End file.
